Open cast coal mining in Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve: North Eastern Coalfields “temporarily suspends” all mining operations

All mining operations of North Eastern Coalfields of Coal India Limited in Assam have been temporarily suspended with effect from June 3. An order issued by NEC authorities to this effect has come close on the heels of “Save Dehing Patkai” campaign gaining momentum across the state and other parts of India.

The NEC authorities, however, in its “office order: issued on June 3 states that “liquidation of present coal stock will continue till existing coal stock is exhausted.” The decision is likely to result in relocating a major strength of about 1100 employees of the NEC to other projects of Coal India Limited. Besides, about

The NEC was producing coal in its Tirap open cast project while its production in Tikok open cast coal mining project has been suspended since October 2019. The production capacity of Tirap open cast project is about 4 lakh MT per year while that of Tikok project is about 5 lakh MT per year, sources in the NEC said.

During the month of May, the NEC supplied about 12 train rakes coal of which ten rakes were reportedly supplied to Bongaingaon Thermal power plant of National Thermal Power Corporation in Bongaingaon district of Assam. One rake carries about 3000 MT of coal.

While Assam Forest Department clamped a ban on mining in Tikok West open cast project in October 2019 on grounds of carrying on mining operation without prior approval, production in Tikok East open cast project has remained suspended due to non-finalisation of bid.

The 57th meeting of the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) granted post-facto approval for opencast coal mining in 57.20 hectares of forest land already broken up and mined by North Eastern Coalfields of Coal India Limited in Saleki Proposed Reserve Forest(PRF) under Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve in Assam.

Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve notified on April 17, 2003 has 937 sq. km. Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary with 111.19 sq. km located in Dibrugarh. Sivasagar and Tinsukia district and famous for Assam Valley Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests is part of the Elephant Reserve.

On May 24 nezine.com first reported that the SC, NBWL, hushed up the actual status on ground in remaining 41.39 Ha of total 98.59 ha forest land in the PRF proposed to be diverted by NEC for Tikok Open cast coal mining project.

Photgraph taken by Ratna Bharali Talukdar in 2005

An application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 by Environment activist Rohit Choudhury brought to light that actual unbroken forest area is approximately 25 ha. Official reports say that the Tikok open cast mining project area falls within an Eco Sensitive Zone and the southernmost tip of the project site is located just on the boundary of the 10 km radius of Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary.

The NBWL meeting described the remaining 41.39 ha to be “unbroken land” and decided that in respect of that portion the matter would be decided after the North Eastern Coalfields submits a feasibility report for underground mining, and also submits compliance report regarding fulfilment of all other conditions. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate change Prakash Javadekar chaired the meeting held on April 7, 2020 through a video conference during the countrywide lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The NBWL decision triggered protests across Assam and in the entire country and the chorus for ban on coal mining in Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve to protect the rain forest there has grown since then.

Sushanta Talukdar

For more details please read the previous nezine.com story here: https://www.nezine.com/info/WVFMbjJ3ZThCN2JVWUVUeDFMaExlQT09/open-cast-coal-mining-in-dehing-patkai-elephant-reserve:-rti-query-reveals-39-per-cent-of-forest-land-in-saleki-prf-which-nbwl-claims-to-be-unbroken,-has-already-been-mined,-broken-and-cleared.html